Advice on trucking a 40 ft yacht plus mast

[AFKASAP]

Hi there,

I am looking at trucking my Beneteau Oceanis 40 from La Rochelle (West coast of France) to the Med.

I am keen on any advice from people who have experience with this.

I have in fact already done this once before back in 2004 with my parents boat (an almost identical boat), but I cannot remember the details.

1. If I prepare everything, how long will I need the crane for to take down the mast? By "prepare" I mean loosen all the bottle screws and disconnect the cables running into the mast. The crane is charged for by the half hour.

2. How should I pack the mast? Do I take off all the running rigging? Do I bubble wrap the mast and then tie the roller forestay to the mast? Do I have to remove the Raymarine Radar dome from the bracket or do I remove the bracket also?

3. Any other tips would be appreciated.

[skipmac]

If all the rigging is loose and ready to remove, wires, halyards and such all ready then 1/2 hour should be sufficient. If the mast is stepped on the keel may take a little more time than a mast stepped on deck. Note that depending on the situation they may charge for the time to bring the crane to your boat as well as the actual time lifting the mast.

When I moved my mast we left all the rigging halyards even antennas attached. Just wrapped everything well and tied everything off so it wouldn't flap in the wind. I also left the radome on but well secured.

If the truck has a proper rack for the mast then just make sure all the supports are padded and no fittings, lights, tangs and such are pressing on any of the racks or mast supports.

[nauticalnomad]

Crane would most likely charge you a min 4 hours.. That would include setup and job and setdown.. See if you can coordinate it with someone else and it would only cost you half the amount. Thats what alot of yacht clubs do that require a crane in to lift masts etc.
I am up in Port La Foret which is 3 hours up the road from you (by car) and i know they have a dockside crane arm already here they are pulling off Imoca 60 masts each week with that and you would only have to pay for a set rate as opposed to complete set up. This marina is pretty awesome as it is the base for alot of offshore racers and the yard capabilities are endless. They have like 6 chandleries on sight and around 8 different yards. If i had not restored my boat already in the Uk for past 8 years i would of done it here.

[AFKASAP]

Thanks for the info guys.

[BigNickMontana]

I am not a euro truck driver but I am in the USA, I haul a lot of big very expensive freight.

The question really is when packing the mast and furler up is what is important to you? If something gets little scratches on it, is that going to bother you? Or if it is up the mast where you can't see it out of sight out of mind is that ok?

I use a lot of carpet in what I do, you put the soft side towards what you are trying to protect and tape it in place, the rugged back of the carpet will do a great job of protecting things.

Keep in mind, anything that can rattle and rub will chaff, and preventing that is all up to your level of attention to detail.

The comment about sharing the time with a crane is a great idea, especially if you can help each other pack out.

Moving blankets are another great resource, those padded blankets are really easy on what ever is wrapped in them. They also do a great job of protecting surfaces you may wind up having people walk on with work boots on.

Good luck!

[UNCIVILIZED]

If you’ve got the time (or are willing to make it), it’s wisest to strip everything off of the mast that you can, for transport of any distance. Whether you remove most of the stays & other hardware while it’s still in/on the boat, & vertical; via playing Peter Pan (working via a bosun’s chair). Or do it when the mast is horizontal on some saw horses.

Ah, & be sure to have plenty of tape to make labels out of for everything, plus several waterproof markers. And a pair of dial calipers for measuring things like clevis pin sizes wouldn’t hurt either. So that you can buy spares now, & not in the middle of re-stepping the mast. Ditto on split, & ring pins.

Above, I say while "playing Peter Pan", as all that you really need in order to keep a mast safely in place, assuming that the boat’s somewhere where there’s a minimum of wave action. Is the cap shrouds, & possibly the headstay & backstay. Or in lieu of the latter two, a couple of halyards for each.
The rest of the stays can be pulled off prior to the crane paying you a visit. Working your way down, top to bottom. Assuming a boat of any size that is… say 30’ (10m) & up.


The purpose of pulling off the shrouds & hardware, up to & including; any easily damaged lighting. Radomes, spreaders, instruments/wands, & your halyards. Is so that they don’t get chafed, banged around, or accidentally, eccentrically loaded/damaged, during transport.
And you can both pad them well, & well label them so that they’re protected during transit. Plus, are easy to slot into the right places at the other end of their journey.

As, for example, if a shroud is left connected, & it’s upper swage gets banged hard in transport. Then either the swage may crack, or worse, it’s connecting point, built into the spar might.
Also, a mast is unwieldy enough to handle as it is. Let alone if it has a dozen+ wires hanging off of it, so... It only makes sense to make it easier to move it around, sans built in entanglements.


And the less hardware that there is wrapped up with the spar, the less likely it’s finish is to get damaged. Or if it’s a Carbon Fiber spar, such dings & nicks can be/are far more damaging than they are to an aluminum one. And on the CF one, they may go unnoticed, but still do damage of substance.

Plus, as stated by BigNickMontana, it’s best to wrap the Bleep out of things, the spar especially, with bubble pack & carpeting.
Too, a good wrapping job gives both you, & the shipper, more peace of mind.


For carpet, go to a shop which re-does the carpeting in houses, & ask for the pieces that they pull out on installation jobs (it’s great for your garage floor too, if you’re a tool guy, given that it’s often free).

And on the halyards, just pick up a spool of 4mm – 5mm Dacron (polyester) cord, to use as leaders. Throwing in, & lock stitching, a bunch of reeving splices into your halyard tails, if they don’t have them already (shame on you )
Also, not to sound paranoid, but halyards (of any quality) are quite pricey. So why tempt anyone? Plus, they deserve good care. Which includes protecting them from road grime, rain, & dust/dirt.

Regarding furlers, generally folks tend to them assembled. And if so, the more support for them the better.
Or, typically with a propane torch, you can unfreeze the fasteners on the foil connections. But talk to the furler’s manufacturer first on this. As not all of them are built the same.


PS: Use a lot of caution with regards taping things directly onto the mast, or anything else with a nice finish. Because just a day or three in the hot Sun can practically weld some kinds of tape onto things. And the only way to remove the baked on goo, sometimes, is via a 3M Green scrubbing pad, & some acetone. Which, of course, is hard on shiny, pretty finishes.

[jeremiason]

Sounds like everyone gave you good advice...

I have seen several boats badly damaged because things were not secured properly and blew around in the wind.

On the mast, I would remove the radar, lines and stays to avoid damages. The radar antenna is easy to remove and well worth it, because it can easily be damaged by a flying rocks or other highway debris.

Also walk your boat hull and make sure nothing is loose. Remove all the canvas and lines. Pad and cover the port lights and hatches.

Remember your delivery truck will be traveling up to 100 kph (or more). Anything loose with chafe you boat hull or mast!

Good luck!

[UNCIVILIZED]

Firstly, on this, I'm thinking aloud (so to speak). So much of it bears checking, particuarly if it involves anything official, & or legal. Though most of it is common sense.

That said: For the boat part of this equation, you'll want to talk to the shipping company. But you may (probably will) need to remove as many fittings of any height from the deck as you can. Like; pulpits, stanchions, winches, Dorades, etc. Basically, anything & everything which makes the boat's profile higher on the trailer.
And where best to store these & other valuable yachting items for the trip is worth studying on. Particularly with regards to both Customs & Theft in mind. Plus wear & tear from travel, & too, packaging them.

Also, not knowing the boat or the route. If she's got a deep fin keel, & a high deck profile, they may want you to pull the keel, the rudder, & possibly the prop shaft. So that it's much easier to clear bridges & such.
But you'll need to check with the shippers on that. Especially as with construction, & detours, etc. This can really vary, so it's best to play it safe. Otherwise, extra fees may be added on, with, or without your having much say in it.

Also, know the boat's structure. Particularly if the hull is cored, & or, if she has an extensive keel/floor grid. So that you know where it's safe for her to be lifted, & where it's not. Along with which, you might even put stickers onto the hull to denote such. Ones which are both color coded (internationally), & multilingual.
And with this, it's important to know where she'll need to be supported on the trailer for the trip, so as to prevent any damage to her hull or interior structure. In addition to well communicating this to the shippers. Possibly even to include documents & diagrams.

Overkill, or OCD, Maybe. But boats are part of the family, & they can't speak up for themselves, so...

And I'd empty all of her tanks. As well as securing everything & anything heavy inside of her, perhaps even including the engine. As well as removing anything onboard which can chafe due to the motion of her being on the road. Even clothes on hangers in the closets.
Ditto on breakables, valuables, & probably most of her foodstuffs. Especially anything which is unsealed or fresh (of course).

Plus, it's worth looking into protective wrapping/coverings for the boat while she's in transit. Especially the forward half to 2/3's. As a long trip by road can be terrible for a boat's finish. And you often see some new boats which are on trucks, that are essentially shrink wrapped in heavy plastic. In order to protect them from debris kicked up on the road.
I'd imagine that the shippers have some idea on this, but also, it'd pay to do some independent research. Particularly as long term shrink wrapping can destroy some finishes. As can the greenhouse effect of plastic tenting, under a warm Sun.

The other thing to check, is to talk with your insurers. And see what their requirements for you to meet, are, so that she's covered while being shipped (in writing). That, as well as what they require in terms of qualifications, & certifications from the shipper. And any other paperwork that they might need so that your covered, given the route of travel.

And... there's the whole multiple border crossing complexities thing. As for all I know, it might be worth hiring an agent who specializes in such. Especially depending upon what's going on politically at the time you ship her. And with the refugee situation, etc.
But on that I'm making a semi-educated guess.

Will you be traveling with the boat at the time? As I'm thinking that if at all possible, it might be a good idea. But again, that's a guess, & bears researching.
Such as starting with Customs, & for instance in the US, perhaps with the Department of State, as well as Travel related officialdom/Bureaus.
Plus, of course, the shippers should know a fair bit about this. Albeit their background bears an in depth checking, long before you sign anything with them, especially checks

HTH

[AFKASAP]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Firstly, on this, I'm thinking aloud (so to speak). So much of it bears checking, particuarly if it involves anything official, & or legal. Though most of it is common sense.

That said: For the boat part of this equation, you'll want to talk to the shipping company. But you may (probably will) need to remove as many fittings of any height from the deck as you can. Like; pulpits, stanchions, winches, Dorades, etc. Basically, anything & everything which makes the boat's profile higher on the trailer.
And where best to store these & other valuable yachting items for the trip is worth studying on. Particularly with regards to both Customs & Theft in mind. Plus wear & tear from travel, & too, packaging them.

Also, not knowing the boat or the route. If she's got a deep fin keel, & a high deck profile, they may want you to pull the keel, the rudder, & possibly the prop shaft. So that it's much easier to clear bridges & such.
But you'll need to check with the shippers on that. Especially as with construction, & detours, etc. This can really vary, so it's best to play it safe. Otherwise, extra fees may be added on, with, or without your having much say in it.

Also, know the boat's structure. Particularly if the hull is cored, & or, if she has an extensive keel/floor grid. So that you know where it's safe for her to be lifted, & where it's not. Along with which, you might even put stickers onto the hull to denote such. Ones which are both color coded (internationally), & multilingual.
And with this, it's important to know where she'll need to be supported on the trailer for the trip, so as to prevent any damage to her hull or interior structure. In addition to well communicating this to the shippers. Possibly even to include documents & diagrams.

Overkill, or OCD, Maybe. But boats are part of the family, & they can't speak up for themselves, so...

And I'd empty all of her tanks. As well as securing everything & anything heavy inside of her, perhaps even including the engine. As well as removing anything onboard which can chafe due to the motion of her being on the road. Even clothes on hangers in the closets.
Ditto on breakables, valuables, & probably most of her foodstuffs. Especially anything which is unsealed or fresh (of course).

Plus, it's worth looking into protective wrapping/coverings for the boat while she's in transit. Especially the forward half to 2/3's. As a long trip by road can be terrible for a boat's finish. And you often see some new boats which are on trucks, that are essentially shrink wrapped in heavy plastic. In order to protect them from debris kicked up on the road.
I'd imagine that the shippers have some idea on this, but also, it'd pay to do some independent research. Particularly as long term shrink wrapping can destroy some finishes. As can the greenhouse effect of plastic tenting, under a warm Sun.

The other thing to check, is to talk with your insurers. And see what their requirements for you to meet, are, so that she's covered while being shipped (in writing). That, as well as what they require in terms of qualifications, & certifications from the shipper. And any other paperwork that they might need so that your covered, given the route of travel.

And... there's the whole multiple border crossing complexities thing. As for all I know, it might be worth hiring an agent who specializes in such. Especially depending upon what's going on politically at the time you ship her. And with the refugee situation, etc.
But on that I'm making a semi-educated guess.

Will you be traveling with the boat at the time? As I'm thinking that if at all possible, it might be a good idea. But again, that's a guess, & bears researching.
Such as starting with Customs, & for instance in the US, perhaps with the Department of State, as well as Travel related officialdom/Bureaus.
Plus, of course, the shippers should know a fair bit about this. Albeit their background bears an in depth checking, long before you sign anything with them, especially checks

HTH

Thanks for the reply.

The transport went very smoothly. My insurers covered my boat by default for road transport. I took the mast down and took off all the rigging. Bubble wrapped the mast and then tied the roller forestay to the mast. I was able to leave the pushpit and pulpit on.

Followed the boat in a hire car. Slept on the boat one night in a truck stop in Toulouse and continued to follow it the next day until she arrived in the Med. It was a really great trouble free experience.

It took less than 24 hour to for from the Atlantic side of France to the Med. I can recommend this option to anyone who wants to save time and get to the sunshine quickly.



Beneteau Oceanis 40 - 2008
Mallorca

[UNCIVILIZED]

Glad to hear it, & good to know!